The Glass factory.           
                                        
                                        
                                      
                                  
                                  
                                          
 Several  Centuries  After  It  Had  Last 
 Belonged To Us, We Went  On An Outing To 
 The Glass Factory  That  Bore Our Family 
 Name. It Had  Changed Owners  Many Times 
 Since  Our  Ancestors  Death,  And  Then 
 Stood  Abandoned   For  A   Long  While. 
 Finally, The  Natural  End  Station  For 
 The Buildings  That Survive:  A  Museum, 
 And A Gift Shop.                         
                                          
 There'S  A  Long  Time Since  My  Family 
 Made Anything.  By  Many,  We  Would  Be 
 Considered Poor.                         
                                          
 There Are  Two  Main Factory  Buildings, 
 Domed Things Of Several Floors,  Made In 
 Yellow Brick. Large But  Narrow Windows, 
 Reminescent    Of    Some     Cathedral. 
 Custom-Made  Glass, Of Course, Large And 
 LeadEd, And Ashen. A  Bit Too Dark To Be 
 Practical.  On  The  Eastern   Building, 
 Some Are Shattered.                      
                                          
 The Other  One Is Publicly Open. There'S 
 A Museum, With  Wax Figures  Of My Great 
 Great Great Grandfather,  Or  Something. 
 Various Tools  (Or Replicas) Laid Out On 
 Tables, With  Explaining Texts. A Lot Of 
 Glass      Of     Varying     Thickness. 
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 I Quickly Sneak Out, And Climb  Into The 
 Other   Building.    The   Contrast   Is 
 Overwhelming.   It   Must   Have   Stood 
 Derelict   For   A  Long  Time,  Windows 
 Broken,  Metallic  Trash  And  Pools  Of 
 Dark  Glass  All  Over   The  Floor.  No 
 Electric Lights,  But  I Can  See By The 
 Light That Shines  In Wherever The  Dark 
 Windows     Are    Missing    A    Pane. 
                                          
 However, The  Greatest Difference Is The 
 Higher Floors:  This  Building Has None. 
 It Is One Massive Hall,  Stretching Away 
 Infinitely Above Me. Somewhere Up  There 
 Is Some  Great  Iron  Latticework,  From 
 Where  Chains Are Suspended,  And  Parts 
 Of  Machinery  Has  Been  Falling  Down. 
                                          
 There Is,  In  The  Middle Of The  Great 
 Hall,  A  Thin  Spiral   Staircase  That 
 Leads Up There. I Sneak Over There,  And 
 Take A  Few Reluctant Steps.  After Just 
 A Revolution,  I  Notice That  For  Each 
 Step The  Building Starts  To Glow,  The 
 Bricks  Turning  A Dark  Red,  And  Then 
 Orange, All  The  Piled Up  Debree Being 
 Lit From Behind.                         
                                          
 I  Stop Ready  To Run  Down And Out, But 
 There'S  Someone  Else  On The Staircase 
 With   Me  Now,   Pressed   Close.  He'S 
 Looking  Like  Me,  Short Hair  And Thin 
 Arms,  But  With  Ears From Some Animal, 
 And  More  Disturbingly, Completely Made 
 Of Dark Liquid glass.                    
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 My Fear  Holds  Me  In  Place  While  He 
 Starts  Operating Levers  And Dials  Set 
 In The Center Of The  Staircase. Slowly, 
 It  Starts  Spinning,  Circling Upwards. 
 It'S  An  Elevator!   I  Start  To   Run 
 Downwards,   But  Now  The   Liquid  Boy 
 Creature  Grabs Hold  Of  Me.  I  Try To 
 Shake Him Off, But He'S Too Strong,  And 
 Pulls    Me   Back   Up   Beside    Him. 
                                          
 This Time,  I  Turn  Angry Instead. What 
 The  Hell? Who  Is This Guy, Acting Like 
 This? I  Reach Out My Free  Arm And Slam 
 A  Random  Lever.  Some  Metal  Bar   Is 
 Suddenly  Released  Between  Us, Hitting 
 Him  On The  Arm, Forcing My Release.  I 
 Shove  Him Off Of Me, And  He Falls Into 
 The    Levers,    Messing    Them    Up. 
 Immediately,  A   Thin  Rusty  Chainmail 
 Curtain  Is Dropped  Around Me. But  The 
 Elevator Also Speeds  Up  Significantly. 
                                          
 The   Walls  Are  Flaring  Now,  Yellow, 
 White, Almost Blue. I  Close My Eyes And 
 Curl  Into  A Ball.  But Then, The Glass 
 Boy   Screams,  A  Piercing  Sound  That 
 Forces My Eyes Back Open. I  Watch As He 
 Becomes Too  Liquid,  His  Body  Pooling 
 Down In  His  Now  Massive Tail, And The 
 Tip Of It Suddenly Breaks Of In  A Glass 
 Drop  That  Falls   Toward  The  Factory 
 Floor.                                   
                                          
 He'S  Crawling On The Stairs,  Unable To 
 Keep  His Body Upright.  Can'T Reach The 
 Levers,  Claws  At  My  Chainmail  Cage, 
 While  His  Body  Is  Turning Into  Dark 
 Pearls.  Finally, He'S Lost Too Much  Of 
 Himself  And The Scream  Is  Cut  Short. 
 The    Last   Of   Him    Rains    Down. 
                                          
 I  Still  Can'T  Reach  The  Levers From 
 Within  My  Cage. Looking Up, I  Try  To 
 Make Out The  Ceiling,  But  It'S All  A 
 Whirling Sea Of Colours. Below Me  Glows 
 The Hellfire  Of  The Factory Walls, But 
 Very Faint.  I Sit Down,  Curl  Back Up, 
 Become Still.                            
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 A  Large  Clunk Shakes  My Entire  Body, 
 And  Snaps  Me  Back Into  Reality.  I'M 
 Back  At  The  Factory  Floor,  But  The 
 Stairs   Are  Still   Moving   Slightly, 
 Clicking In Place,  Carrying Me The Last 
 Few  Centimeters.  I  Came  From  Below, 
 Somehow.  The  Chainmail  Is  Retracted, 
 And  I   Slowly  Dismount   The  Stairs. 
                                          
 Shaking And Crying, I Make  My Way  Over 
 The  Factory Floor, Wading  Through Dark 
 Glass Marbles. A Quick  Glance Down, And 
 I See  There'S  Something  Faint  Inside 
 Them.   Embryos?    Are    These   Eggs? 
                                          
 I   Shudder,   And   Climb   Back   Out.